Jenn Durfey/ via Flickr
16 counties in the state now under a drought watch
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Craig Rhodes
Jenn Durfey/ via Flickr
(Harrisburg) — The state Department of Environmental Protection has declared a drought watch for 16 counties in Pennsylvania.
Those counties listed under a drought watch are Armstrong, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Cameron, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Fayette, Huntingdon, Indiana, Juniata, McKean, Mifflin, Perry, and Potter.
Residents of those counties are being asked to reduce individual water use by 5-percent to 60 gallons per day, based on a statewide average of 62 gallons per person per day.
“We’re asking residents in these 16 counties to use water wisely and follow simple water conservation tips to ease the demand for water,” said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell.
The DEP is making the following recommendations to reduce water use:
• Run water only when necessary. Don’t let the faucet run while brushing your teeth or shaving. Shorten the time you let the water run to warm up before showering. Use a bucket to catch the water and then reuse it to water your plants.
• Run the dishwasher and washing machine only with full loads.
• When watering your garden, be efficient and effective: Water in the evening or morning, and direct the water to the ground at the base of the plant, so you don’t waste water through evaporation.
• Check for household leaks. For example, a leaking toilet can waste up to 200 gallons of water daily.
• Replace older appliances with high-efficiency, front-loading models that use about 30 percent less water and 40-50 percent less energy.
• Install low-flow plumbing fixtures and aerators on faucets.
According to the DEP, varying localized conditions during a drought watch may lead individual water suppliers or municipalities to request more stringent conservation actions by residents.
DEP is notifying all water suppliers in these counties of the need to monitor their supplies and be prepared by updating their drought contingency plans as necessary.
Some public water systems have already begun voluntary and mandatory water restrictions to preserve their drinking water supplies.
DEP makes drought watch, warning, or emergency declaration recommendations based on four indicators.
The agency says it gets stream flow and groundwater level data from a statewide network of gauges maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey.
In addition, DEP monitors precipitation and soil moisture and gets information from public water suppliers.
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